The decarbonization of transportation is driving the adoption of more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives. The new projects explore the integration of innovative technologies, such as the electrification of fleets, the development of infrastructure for electric mobility and the promotion of efficient public transport, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards cleaner and more responsible mobility. .
One of the largest projects is the manufacture of an ultra-fast train capable of reaching a speed of over 6,000 km/h. Elon Musk spoke about this transportation system, called Hyperloop, for the first time in 2012. The owner of Tesla explained that this revolutionary concept is based on a system of closed tubes through which the convoy circulates.
Musk offered his project as free hardware so that any company could carry it out. Since then, several companies are developing different prototypes and pilot tests of the Hyperloop in different countries around the world, in an effort to make this vision of revolutionary, high-speed transportation a reality.
Some time ago we reported that the Canadian company TransPod is developing a hybrid between a high-speed train and an airplane called Flux.Jet. This means of transportation is being designed to cover the route between Calgary and Edmonton, one of the busiest in the country, through a capsule system, promising to revolutionize the way people travel between those two important cities.
Now we are getting news from another part of the world, specifically China, where the latest advances in the ultra-fast train are reported. The Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has confirmed that the Hyperloop it is developing has reached a record speed ever recorded by a superconducting maglev vehicle.
So far, the speed at which the vehicle has been able to circulate on a 2-kilometer experimental circuit built in the province of Shanxi has not been revealed. But, according to CASIC, the T-Flight, as the train is known, has made “significant progress” with its latest test surpassing the previous record of 623 km/h that it reported in October 2023. A A month earlier, a similar test of high-temperature superconducting maglev technology reached 234 km/h on a 380-meter track.
The test not only set a speed record for the system, but also validated several key technologies and demonstrated that they work well together, CASIC reported.
Superconducting magnetic levitation technology uses a system of magnets to push the train off the track and propel it forward. The train floats along the rails and passes over a cushion of air that eliminates friction as it travels through a specially designed tube in a near-vacuum. This low-pressure environment significantly reduces air resistance, allowing the train to reach breakneck speeds and travel almost as if it were levitating.
Maglev trains, lacking a point of friction with the rails, are faster and quieter than conventional trains. Since they do not generate direct emissions, they are also more efficient for the environment. These types of trains, known as bullet trains, are already used in China, South Korea and Japan, but they operate at slower speeds.
In the second phase of testing, the runway will be lengthened by 60 kilometers so that the T-Flight can reach even higher speeds. The train is expected to reach 1,000 km/h, which means it could go from Shenzhen to Shanghai, two cities that are 1,200 kilometers apart, in just over an hour, although the Hyperloop developers say that, on the paper, this maglev vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 6,000 km/h.
